Patrick GARIN (or GEARON or GARRING or GERON) was born in 1802 or 1805 in Ireland. Both County Cork and County Limerick have been cited in oral histories as the place of origin for Patrick and his family. He died in Allamakee in 1882 at the age of 80 from old age after being sick for 2 weeks.

Researchers please note: Patrick’s date of death and age at death is from his granddaughter’s family Bible. The birth year is from various census reports. His place of burial is unknown but he probably is in an unmarked grave in St. Joseph's churchyard at Paint Rock near Harpers Ferry, Allamakee, IA. I have been told that when the church burned down, the debris was cleared to the adjacent farmland and included many tombstones.

About 1853, Patrick emigrated from Ireland with wife Catherine and children John, Catherine, Bridget, Ellen, and Margaret to Wayne County, OH, sometimes called Akron, OH, where the sixth child that we have a record of, Michael Albert GARIN, was born. One family story has the GARINS immigrating through the port of New Orleans, however, a record has not been found.

The Patrick GARINS stayed in Ohio until about 1858-9. At that time, they moved to the Lick Creek area of Keosauqua, Van Buren, IA, where Patrick worked as a laborer. Michael WELSH and his wife, Catherine (GARIN) WELSH were nearby in Business Corners, Keosauqua, Van Buren, IA, where Michael worked on the railroad and their daughter, Ellen, was born.

In May of 1861, the GARINS moved to Allamakee and in October of 1861, purchased an eighth of a section of land just west of Harper's Ferry, Fairview, Allamakee, IA and Johnsonsport, Fairview, Allamakee, IA. The Patrick GARINS were on that farm in both the 1870 and 1880 U.S. Census.

The farm directly to the east was owned by son-in-law Michael WELSH and his wife, daughter Catherine (GARIN) WELSH. One farm over and to the west was son-in-law Patrick MURPHY and his wife, daughter Bridget (GARIN) MURPHY. Patrick and Catherine GARIN transferred their farm to son John GARIN in 1863 on the day after John was naturalized; the land transferred back to them after John’s death in 1876; and was transferred to son Michael Albert in 1877.

In the 1880 census, Patrick and Catherine GARIN were residing with their youngest son, Michael Albert, and his family(wife Mary (HENNESSEY) GARIN and children Margaret Loretta, James Albert, and Mary Ann “Mayme”) on the family farm near Harpers Ferry. All GARINS had left the farm before 1886.

Patrick married Catherine BRIGGS (or BIRCH or BRICK) prior to 1840. BRIGGS is the name on Michael Albert GARIN’S birth certificate. BIRCH is the name on his death certificate. Bridget (GARIN) MURPHY’S son-in-law reported Catherine’s maiden name as BRICK on Bridget’s death certificate. Catherine's maiden name was most probably BRIGGS. Catherine was born in 1816 in Ireland. She died in 1898 of old age after being sick for one month, according to her granddaughter’s family Bible. She was 82. A confirmed burial place has not been found, however, it was most probably St. Joseph’s churchyard at Paint Rock near Harpers Ferry, Allamakee, IA.

They had the following children:

i. Catherine GARIN (ca1840 - ca1872). Catherine (GARIN) WELSH was born in Ireland. She died in Harper's Ferry, Fairview, Allamakee, at age 32, probably in childbirth. The 1870 U.S. Census for Harper's Ferry, Allamakee, IA lists her as a homemaker. Catherine married Michael WELSH (WALSH or WELCH) ca1857. He was born in Apr 1838 in Ireland. They had the following children: Ellen (WELSH) McDONALD b. ca1858, Lawrence b. ca1861, Alice Mary (WELSH) MERWIN b. ca1865, John b. ca1868, James b. 1862. Two years after Catherine’s death and in 1874, Michael WELSH married Mary Ann GARIN, (16 Jan 1850 – 9 Apr 1918) daughter of Patrick GARIN (this is the Patrick GARIN in Taylor Township) and Mary DWYER. It is suspected that she was a cousin of Catherine GARIN’S. Sarah "Sadie" WELSH (1879 –1909), daughter of Michael and Mary Ann, married Maggie GARIN’S son, George Frederick HULSE (1878 – 1957). Michael Welsh died 22 Apr, 1921, in Clayton, Monona, IA, where he lived with daughter Ellen (WELSH) McDONALD. Mary Ann (GARIN) WELSH died 9 Apr, 1918, in Fairview, Allamakee, IA.

ii. John GARIN ( ca1841 – 1876) was born in Ireland. John died in Harper's Ferry, IA, on 2 Jul 1876. He was 35 and a farmer. There is no indication that he was ever married.

iii. Bridget GARIN (1845 - 1915). Bridget (GARIN) MURPHY was born Jan 1845 in Ireland. She died 11 Feb 1915, in Mason City, Cerro Gordo, IA while living with her daughter, Agnes Margaret (MURPHY) RYAN and family. About 1863 Bridget GARIN married Patrick MURPHY in Allamakee. He was born about 1825 in Ireland and died between 1880 and 1900. Bridget (GARIN OR GEARON) MURPHY and Patrick MURPHY had the following children: James (b. ca 1862 – btw 1881 -1915), Agnes Mary (MURPHY) RYAN (2 Sep 1864 or 1866 – 29 Jan 1923), Michael Francis “Mike” (b. ca1863 – aft 1915).

iv. Ellen GARIN (ca1847 – bef 1902) Ellen is found only in the 1860 census in Lick Creek, Keosauqua, Van Buren, IA.

v. Margaret "Maggie" Sofinee GARIN (1850-1925). Margaret "Maggie" Sofinee (GARIN) HULSE was born on 15 Jun 1850 in Ireland. She was a school teacher in Allamakee, IA, from 1866 – 1912 and in Wyoming at the school that she and her husband built, called the “Hulse School”. Maggie taught even when her children were small. She and her husband Squire Lee HULSE lived in Ion, Allamakee, IA, after their marriage in 1872. There were many HULSE and GARIN relatives living nearby. Maggie and Squire moved to Tama, IA, about 1876 but returned to Ion, IA, in about 1878. They lived near MacGregor, IA, in 1880, and in Waukon Junction from 1884 until they moved to Van Tassell, Niobrara, WY, to homestead in about 1912. In Waukon Junction, they ran a small hotel and also farmed in the area. On 30 Jun 1872 when Margaret "Maggie" was 22, she married Squire Lee HULSE, son of Jonathan Day HULSE & Jemima "Jemma" C. or G. (HAZEN) HULSE, in Paint Rock Parish, Harpers Ferry, Allamakee, IA. Born on 3 Feb 1850 in Ontario, NY. Squire Lee died in Van Tassell, Niobrara, WY, on 7 Oct 1930. He was 80. Maggie and Squire had the following children: Ellen “Nellie” Jemima (HULSE) BLACKWELL
(1873 – 1940), Mary Loretta Catherine (HULSE) HAMARSTROM SMITH DOBSON (1874 – 1859), James David Day (1876 – 1837), George Frederick (1976 – 1857), Blanche (WALKER or HULSE) LEAS (1891 – aft 1930 – Blanche WALKER was probably never formally adopted but lived with the HULSES from before 1900 and was considered a daughter), Clarence Arthur (1881 – 1888), Earl Squire (1892 – 1984). In Wyoming, Maggie and her husband, Squire, homesteaded on a parcel of 320 acres of land. Their sons George and James David and adopted daughter Blanche (WALKER or HULSE) LEAS also homesteaded on like parcels. The family put their land together to create one large ranch with the houses not far from one another. They raised cattle and rounded up wild horses to sell. Maggie died in Van Tassell, Niobrara, WY, on 22 Oct 1925, from breast cancer. She was 75. She was buried on 24 Oct 1925 in Van Tassell Cemetery, Van Tassell, Niobrara, WY. (obituary)

vi. Michael Albert GARIN (1853-1901). Michael Albert GARIN was born in Jun 1853 in Wayne County or Akron, OH. In the 1880 U.S. Census, he was working the family farm in Fairview, Allamakee, IA. In 1898, he lived in Elma, IA. In 1900 he was living in Hayfield, MN. Michael Albert died on 14 Dec 1901, at the age of 48 in Sargent, MN. His burial place is unknown. (obituary) He worked for the Great Western Railway at the time of his death. He had some college in Prairie Du Chien, WI, and was a Roman Catholic. On 21 Feb 1876 when Michael Albert was 22, he first married Mary Margaret HENNESSEY (ca1859 – Jan 1884), in Immaculate Conception Church, Wexford, IA, in 1886. They had the following children: Margaret Loretta (1876 – bef 1884), James Albert (1880 – 1965), Mary Ann (1884 – aft 1930). About 1890 when Michael Albert was 36, he second married Mary Ellen O'LEARY(1865 – 1941). They had the following children Rose Alice (GARIN) FINLEY (1891 – 1975), Thomas Michael (1893 – 1964), William Patrick (1895 - ), Grace Mary (GARIN) FORD (1897 – 1965), Mark Francis (1898 – bef 1900), Paul Edward (1900 – 1979), Leo Joseph (1901 – 1970).